Terry Alexander, senior lecturer in economics and Amy Brandau, an academic advisor in the department of economics, are taking a group of 20 students to England and Scotland during spring break as a part of a CALS study abroad program. These students range from freshmen to seniors.
“Brexit: The British Vote to Exit from the EU: History and Possible Outcomes” is the title of the spring break trip. The students will explore the government and history of Great Britain, specifically both England and Scotland. Prior to the trip, the students were required to enroll in Economics 496, a three-credit course that meets once a week.
“We hope our students gain knowledge they can apply to their future and career,” Brandau said. “We want them to gain an understanding of the role Great Britain and the United States play in global economics.”
The students will arrive in Edinburgh for the first leg of the 10-day trip. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and houses the Scottish Parliament and the National Museum of Scotland, which are both stops on the itinerary. The four-day stay in Scotland will focus on the history and economics of the country and the effect of Brexit on Scotland.
The group will then board a train and start the journey to London, to visit the British Parliament and identify the differences between England and Scotland. The students will also visit the Bank of England Museum so they can understand how Brexit may affect the British economy.
“I am enthusiastic to speak with members of both the Scottish and English parliaments to hear their take on the issues,” Adam Willman, senior in agronomy said. “Specifically, I want to hear how they think the exit from the EU with help or hurt UK farmers.”
The instructors also wanted to incorporate an agricultural experience into the trip, so the students could relate it to their fields of study.
“We hope to make a trip to the University of Reading, which is England’s main agricultural university, in order to integrate agriculture,” Alexander said. “We will speak with their faculty and then visit their research farms.”
At the end of this eight-week course students will have background information and understand economic implications of Great Britain’s vote to exit from the European Union.
“I am looking forward to visiting London, and being immersed in the beautiful countries of England and Scotland,” said Celeste Swanson, a sophomore (agricultural business, economics and international agricultural). “I am also very excited to get to spend time with our instructors and other classmates.”
The 20 students on the trip are:
Ag Business majors: Megan Andersen, Olivia Bisbee, Nathan Holloway, Nathan Hrubes, Ben Jacobsen, Catherine Isley, Kayleigh Koch, Grant McMillan, Rebekah Sletten, Celeste Swanson, and Gary Wynne
Economics Students: Jonathan Becker, Min Cao, and Julian Duran
and Austin Ashbacher (AST), Kayla Dietz (AGLSE), Katie Joiner (MKT), Russell Jones (ME), Laura Klaes (AGLSE), and Adam Willman (Agron)
-Summer Bontrager, CALS Communication Service